Apparatus for cleaning the interior of tubular members.



W. G. ABBOTT, JR.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE INTERIOR 0F TUBULAR MEMBERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1916.

1,252,072. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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WILLIAM GEORGE ABBOTT, JR., 015' WILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE. I

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE INTERIOR OF TUB ULAR MEMBERS.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

Application filed September 13, 1916. Serial No. 119,974.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM G. ABBOTT, Jr., citizen of the United States, and resident of Wilton, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning the Interior of Tubular Members, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning the interior of tubular members,

and the apparatus is more particularly designed to clean the separator bowls of centrifuges, that is, instruments by which the heavier constituents of a fluid such as blood corpuscles, bacteria, sediments, etc., may be separated by centrifugal action from thelighter portions. I

In the use of centrifuges, it has been found that a deposit of sediment collects on the walls of the separator bowls, and that, owing to the small size of these bowls, it is diflicult to remove this sediment, especially in view of the fact that it forms a hard cake due to the excessive centrifugal force driving the sediment outwardly against the walls. It has been proposed to remove this sediment by means of a small instrument resembling a hoe, and such a device is fairly satisfactory for removing the bulk of the deposit. However, it is practically impossible to remove all the sediment with an instrument of this character, and furthermore, there is the liability of scratching the interior surface of the bowl when attempting to do more than remove heavier deposits of material by means of a device of the character referred to.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a device whereby the interior of the separator bowl of the centrifuge may be quickly and effectually cleansed without in any way marring the interior surface of the bowl, it being highly desirable to maintain a perfectly smooth surface within the bowl inasmuch as only a surface of this kind can be thoroughly cleaned. It is a further obJect of my invention to provide apparatus which will function both as a device for mechanically removing the deposit, and also as a device for introducing a cleansing fluid simultaneously with the mechanical operascraper removes the softened portions of I the deposit in such a manner that the fluid can progress1vely reach successive layers of the deposit in the most expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings,-

F1gure 1 is a longitudinal section of a common type of centrifuge bowl;

Flg. 2 is an elevation of my improved apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the forward end'of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal central section of the cleaning head (Fig. 3) and a portion of the supporting stem; and

Fig. 5 is a top view of the cleaning head and a portion of the stem, Figs. 4: and 5 bemg on an enlarged scale corresponding to Fig. 3.

In the normal operation of a centrifugal machine the bowl 1 is ordinarily suspended in a vertical position by the screw projection 2. A cap, which is not shown, is threaded upon the lower end of the bowl by means of the threads 3. this cap covering a hollow tip projection which is adapted to run in a wooden bushing in such manner as to steady the bowl. Suitably placed below this tip is a nozzle which projects the liquid to be separated upwardly into the bowl. After passing. into the bowl the liquid is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force and forms upon the inner surface of the bowl a cylindrical layer of diminished density from the inside outwardly. When the liquid rises to the to of the bowl it discharges outwardly througii the outlets 4 and 5, the lighter material passing out through orifice 4and the heavier material passing out through orifice 5.

While only one outer orifice 5 is shown inthe cross sectional view of Fig. 1, three or more of these outlets equally spaced around the periphery of the bowl, are ordinarily are finally covered and the machine must be stopped and cleaned. The most satisfactory means for performing the cleaning opera-' tion, of which 1am aware, comprises the apparatus now to be described.

The cleaning apparatus comprises a small tube 7, a cleaning head 8 and preferably a hose 9 through which steam, hot water or other cleansing fluid may be introduced to the cleaning head. The cleaning head comprises three or more spiral ribs 10 uniformly spaced about the outer periphery of the head and each extending to such length that they overlap, as indicated, forming spiral channels therebetween. The three ribs indicated generally as 10 in Fig. 2 are respectively indicated as 10, 10 and 10 in the en larged Figs. 3, 4 and 5-. The forward end of each rib is curved outwardly so that the duct extending longitudinally therethrough will be directed forwardly and tangentially and the end ofeach rib is beveled ofl, as indicated at 20, in such manner that an opening 11 therein, communicating with the interior of the head, will be disposed in such manner that a jet of fluid passing outwardly therefrom will be projected along a line substantially tangent with the periphery of the head and making an angle of, approximately with the forward face of the head, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The cleaning head may either be fixedly or rotatably mounted on the forward endof the tube 7. While the particular means of rotatably mounting the head on the stem forms no part of my invention, T have illustrated a convenient means in Fig. 4, this means comprising an enlargement'21 on the end of the stemfitting into a flanged sleeve 22 which may be brazed to the head 8. A handle 12 is preferably provided at the rear end of the tube 7 for operating the device in the manner now to be described.

The bulk .of the solid deposit 6 is preferably pulled out by means of an instrument resembling a hoe, as above mentioned. The cleaning device is then inserted into the bowl preferably to the full extent so that the head8 and the jets 13 are brought approximately opposite to the ports 5 When the water or steam is turned on, the jets 13 wash away dirt that is collected in the ports and the water or steam escapes backwardly through the channels between the ribs 10. When the bowl is rotatably mounted on the tube 7 the passage of the steam or water backwardly along the ribs 10 causes the cleaning head to rotate, and owing to the fact that the jets of water are thrown forwardly at an angle to the face of the cleaning head and in the proper direction, the action of the jets tends to increase the rotary motion of the head. Thus, the whirling jets of fluid thoroughly remove all forei matter from the upper portion of the bowl raeaor'a and the headis then slowly withdrawn and the lower portions of the tube are cleansed in the same manner.

The angular disposition of the ribs 10 isso related to the disposition of the apertures 11 that the rotary motion of the fluid, produced by the tangential components of the motion of the projected jets, is maintained as the fluid passes rearwardly along the ribs wedged or packed into the outlet ducts 4 and 5 in such manner that the whirling jets of water or steam' are insufficient to clear the passage ways. In such cases the spiral ribs 10 are of particular utilityinasmuch as the head 8 can be rapidly moved backwardly and forwardly as a plunger whereby considerable pulsating .force can be applied to the liquid in front of the cleaning head to clear the ducts 4 and 5. The diameter of the cleaning head measured to the outer periphcry of the ribs 10 is preferably made only slightly smaller than the .interior diameter of the tube, whereby the head obstructs the major portion of the tubular passage within thebowl and may thus operate efl'ectively as a plunger. The ribs 10-are made equal in number to the jet openings 11 and the jet openings are spaced. about the cleaning head in correspondence with the ribs, whereby the ribs and jets operate in conjunction. Obviously, the ribs 10 may also function as scrapers to remove the successive layers of deposit as they are softened and loosened by the action of the cleaning fluid. And when the head is rotatably mounted on the stem 7, the ribs serve to dislodge foreign matter as they rotate in proximity to the interior surface of the tubular member being. cleaned.

While the ribs 10 are shown as being hollow this is not essential, it only being necese- I sary to have some communication between the apertures 11 and the interior of the head I '8. However, when the head is rotatably riphery so .as to project jets of fluid for= wardly and tangentially from the cleaning head directly against the interior surface of the tubular member, and means for passing fluid through the fluid ducts.

2. Apparatus for cleansing the interior of tubular members comprising a supporting member, a cleaning head mounted thereon, and angularly disposed ribs on the periphery of the cleaning head, the cleaning head having apertures in the forward end thereof, the apertures communicating with the interior of the cleaning head and supporting member and opening at the front of said head so that fluid may be projected therethrough in advance of the ribs.

3. Apparatus for cleansing the interior of tubular members comprising a hollow support, a cleaning head on the forward end of the support, and overlapping ribs angularly disposed on the periphery of the cleaning head, the forward end of the ribs having apertures communicating with the interior of the head, the apertures being so disposed as to project jets of fluid obliquely to the face of the cleaning head.

4. Apparatus for cleaning the interior of tubular members comprising a supporting member, a cleaning head mounted on the forward end of the apparatus, the cleaning head having unobstructed apertures in its forward end near its upper periphery and fluid ducts communicating with the apertures, and means for passing fluid through the fluid ducts, the ducts and apertures being directed forwardly and tangentially so that the fluid is projected in jets from the apertures both forwardly and tangentially with respect to the cleaning head directly against the interior surface of the tubular member.

5. Apparatus for cleansing the interior of tubular .members comprising a hollow support, a cleaning head rotatably mounted on the end of the su port, and angularly disposed ribs on the periphery of the cleaning head, the forward end of the cleaning head having apertures for introducing fluid to the tubular member so that the fluid flowing backwardly along the angularly disposed ribs will cause the cleaning head to rotate. i

6. Apparatus for cleansing the interior of tubular member comprising a hollow support, a cleaning head rotatably mounted on the forward end of the support, and angularly disposed ribs on the periphery of the cleaning head, the cleaning head having apertures in the forward end thereof, the apertures being disposed in such manner that fluid escaping therefrom will cause the head to rotate in one direction and the ribs being so disposed that fluid flowing backwardly along the ribs will tend to-produce rotation of the head in the same direction.

7. Apparatus for cleansing the interior of tubular members comprising a supporting member, a cleaning head mounted thereon, and angularly disposed ribs on the periphery of the head, the cleaning head having apertures in the forward face thereof communicating with the interior of the head, the apertures being so disposed as to project a jet of fluid in such manner as to produce a rotary movement of the fluid within the tubular member, the angular d isposition of the ribs being such as to mamtain the; rotary movement of the fluid in the same direction as the fluid passes rearwardly along the ribs.

Signed by me at lVilton, New Hampshire, this 9th day of September 1916.

WILLIAM GEORGE ABBOTT, JR.

Witnesses:

RUTH A. Wnsron, I EDGAR Hos. 

